Halloween is Early
by KelticDream13
Summary: Johnny runs into trouble halloween night, and meets an ancestor, and trouble
1. Default Chapter

Halloween Is Early  
  
The wind was howling and the air had a chill to it. The trees bare of leaves, seemed to  
sway in the wind. Their branches like long fingers reaching out to grab the unwary. The moon  
was full and seemed to have the face of a witch, wart and all. Johnny pulled his collar closer  
to his neck. He wished he were home already, for it was not a night to be out.   
Back in Mexico ,when they celebrated the dead, he had always stayed at home. He  
hated the masks and the whole idea, or the nightmares as a kid. He felt something with wings flap  
by his head, and he heard a leathery sound. He brushed at it, as it screeched and hit his hat.  
He saw the red eyes. Barranca wasn't thrilled with the visitor either, but he didn't run.  
Johnny swatted at the bat, as it moved away, He drew and shot it, how he hated bats.   
He came to a line of trees, and knew he was almost home .He entered the woods.  
Barranca tried to pull back from going in. Johnny reached and brushed the horses neck. He  
felt something too, at least he thought he did. Maybe it was the bat. He was alert as they  
entered the woods.  
A voice spoke on the wind, a mans voice. "Hold it right there mister. You can hand  
over your money, jewelry, and your hardware, and I think your horse too." Four men were  
around him, one faced him. It was too dark to make out much, except his voice sounded  
young. "Now hand me your gun first."Johnny took the gun and reached towards the man with  
it. As the other man reached out for it. Like a striking snake he grabbed his wrist with his other hand, and pulled him off his horse. At the same time bringing his gun up and around. Firing at the guy on the right. The man went down with a cry , grabbing his shoulder. Lancer felt a bullet sting his neck as he dropped from his horse. He fired upon another desperado and hit him in the  
stomach. The man rolled up and moaned on the ground. Clutching his stomach trying to keep  
his insides in.  
Rifle butte hit Johnny in the back and he went down on one knee. He saw a shadow  
and rolled to the right, he came up to fire, and his gun was struck by the same rifle butte. His  
hand stung from the blow, a mountain of a man stood over him. He blocked out the moon and  
Johnnys' horse. Johnnys' mind was working fast, his hand came up a handful of sand flung  
into the big mans eyes. The man roared and dropped the rifle, but he smiled at Johnny. He  
pulled out the longest, knife and waved at Johnny, who began to sweat.  
"Come on boy, now you made me mad, that wasn't nice of you. Now I shall cut up that  
pretty face of yours, then gut you."Johnny was on his feet ,he pulled his own knife that  
looked puny compared to the other. "Why boy ,wont your moma let you have a real knife? he was mad now, His temper boiling. He made a swipe at him and he found himself  
cutting only air. The man was quick on his toes. The mountain moved in and carved the air by  
Johnnys stomach, it left a red line on his shirt. The man danced back.   
"Yungun you'd better do better than that."Johnny moved with the speed he had with a  
gun, his hand swept up and under the mans ribs. He felt it stick and he shoved up, and in. The  
man grabbed his hand and pulled his hand away. He shoved him to the ground, then he  
ran a hand over his stomach and grinned.   
"Better ,boy. But now I am mad, you cut my favorite shirt." He came at Johnny just as  
Johnny rose to his feet. His hand cutting the man across the arm, as the man came near.  
Johnny danced out of reached, and moved in again. As he tried to get in close he felt the other  
knife cut into his shoulder ,with a burning fire. He cut the mans leg, but he didn't go down.  
Johnny didn't know how this would turn out. The mountain of a man, kicked him in the leg,  
and then moved in and again struck the younger man.. This time he caught him in the side. and,again fire burned through his body. He felt light headed and he knew he had to finish it quick. He feigned a attack to the mans left side, which predictably he moved to the left and left himself open to Johnny coming on his right. Who drove his knife straight up and into his neck,  
blood gushed. The man stopped and looked at the smaller man in surprise. Handed him his knife and fell like a giant oak, and was still.   
Johnny looked around at the scene .No one was movin,.and he wasn't certain if he could  
fight any one else now. He picked up his gun. He turned to the moon, she seemed to be  
laughing at him. He mounted Barannca and headed off towards home. He had only to go a  
mile, but it seemed to be one with no end, he rode. He turned back and saw the horses still  
there. But he also saw two red eyes watching him...that and a face. It looked like a woman  
with long pale hair, long flowing gown. He turned, a chill going up his back.   
He rode up to the house and stopped.Too tired to move. He felt weak and dizzy.He  
heard the door and looked up. There was Scott. His brother hurried over. "Johnny?"  
"Help me down brother."Scott reached up and his brother practically fell into his arms.  
He stood on his feet shaky,as Scott guided him to the house. Inside he sat his brother down on  
the sofa.He took a good look at his brother and went to get some things to fix him up. He  
hurried back and found Johnny looking towards the glass doors, with a strange look on his face.  
"What happened Johnny?" He reached and helped removed his brothers jacket and  
shirt.  
"I ran into some thieves. About a mile out where those trees are, up the hill. Four of  
them, one was into knieves. "Scott took the towel and dipped in the warm water and wrung it  
out. Then started cleaning the gash along the shoulder, it was deep and open. Scott took a  
deep breath. He picked up the whiskey bottle, and looked at his younger brother. Johnny  
steeled himself, as his brother poured the stuff in the open wound. Johnnys head came up, he  
gritted his teeth and a moan escaped his lips. His eyes closed. Scott bandanged the shoulder  
.Then moved on to the other wound.  
"Maybe you should lay on your side for this one". Johnny lay on his good side, as Scott  
cleaned the side.A round hole in the middle of the gash, warm red blood pulsed out of it. Scott  
picked up the whiskey bottle again, his brother didn't even look at him. He poured the  
whiskey and Johnny came off the sofa in a yell of pain. Scott fell on his brother to keep him  
down.   
"Easy brother. The worse is over.But you can explain to Murdock how his bottle got to  
be empty."He wrapped that wound up, then wiped the one on the neck. He thought about it  
and knew Johnny just might shoot him if he poured anything on him again tonight. So he put  
the towel with the whiskey on his neck and back up. His brother began to turn the rooms air  
blue with his language.  
Quickly Johnny calmed down and sat up. Scott poured him a tall whiskey from another  
bottle, he took it and swollowed it down quickly. He looked at his brother, eyes filled with pain. "I think I'll go to bed." He started to get up and found his brother there. Leaning on him they left the room.   
To be conti 


	2. Halloween Is Early pt 2

Halloween Pt 2  
The bed felt good to his aching body, he knew he would feel sore the next day. He lain the dark his thoughts going back to the fight earlier. He had been lucky to win that one. His gun had been useless against the mountain. What about the woman he had seen? Did he see her? Or was it his pain? He had thought he had seen someone in the room downstairs when Scott had gone into the kitchen.   
He looked at his window. He again felt the little boy he once was shiver. He had been  
very afraid of the dark and the monsters. He heard the tree branches hitting the window. The  
little Johnny wonted to hide his head from the monsters. Cause moma had never tried to save him from the monsters. She had laughed as his childish fears. She had not seen what he had.  
A knock at the door and his brothers head looked in. "Johnny, just wonted to see if  
you needed anything." He came in and sat on the bed.  
"I'm fine Scott. Thanks for the doctorin earlier. But you sure waste good whisky."  
"I guess you would have prefered the cognac?"  
"Yeah, since it taste bad. Should be good for something."  
Johnny grew silent and Scott knew something wasnt right. So he decided to be the big  
brother and help his younger brother.  
"Anything wrong?"  
"Did you like Halloween, as a kid?"  
"Sure did. Use to have costume parties. It was great."He watched his brothers face.  
"You didnt?"  
"No. Cant say I did. Tonight, out there.....I thought I saw,..... no never mind."  
"Now you got me interested brother. What did you think you saw?"  
"Nothing, just shadows."Johnny turned and looked at the window. Scott followed his  
look and remembered his look earlier. But he knew his brother well enough to know he  
wouldnt talk unless he wonted to.  
"Well you get some sleep." He stood up and smiled at his brother. Johnny stretched  
out in his bed as Scott reached the door.  
"Goodnight Scott."  
Dark shadows were everywhere. Horrid faces flashed by his face. Skeletons  
danced in the night. Blood curdling screams filled his ears. He was running through the night, trying to escape the monsters. He felt something grab his shoulder, he looked up. Into the bloody eyes of a monster, as he screamed and pulled away the arm came away too. Still  
holding his arm. He pulled it away and ran. He saw something tall with horns coming at him. It laughed, and reached out his hand to him. In it was a head. He saw it in the light of the moon.It was his He screamed and fell to the ground covering his head.   
He felt hands grabbing him,a voice calling to him, and he faught the hands that  
tried to take his soul. His eyes opened wide, and he looked into the concerned eyes of his  
brother Scott. "Johnny, are you all right?"Johnny relaxed,and sat back. Scott sat beside  
him.His breathing was ragged, he hurt all over. His mind still filled with the visions in his  
dreams.  
"Yeah. Just a bad dream."  
Scott just looked at him, he didnt think all was okay. He knew something had rattled his brother he just didnt know what.  
"You wont to talk ,I'm here .I might be able to help."  
"You wouldnt believe me if I told you."Johnny looked down at his blanket.  
"Never know I might."He sat down on the bed by his brother.  
"I had a nightmare. I guess it had to do with halloween when I was a kid."  
"Not fun huh? I guess for kids it can be scary."  
"Tonight at the woods. I thought I saw something. It was a woman in white. She was floating in the trees. Pain made me see things I guess."  
"Maybe not Johnny." Johnny turned and looked into his brothers eyes. He saw no laughter or mocking there."Perhaps you did see something. Guardian angel, or something."   
"I just don't know. Perhaps it's a warning. My past catching up with me?"  
"I wouldnt worry about it. Perhaps she was watching over you."  
"Could be Scott. But do I deserve a guardian angel? " Scott put a hand on his brothers shoulder and squeezed.   
"More than most brother. You have had someone watching over you. Just look at the times, you beat impossible odds." He stood up. "Get some sleep, Johnny, goodnight."  
"Goodnight Scott." Johnny lay back down as his brother left.  
The sun was just rising when Scott went over to the barn to get his horse for the days work. He had already sent some men to the woods. He walked in and saw his brother already there saddling his horse. He moved slowly, stiffly.  
"Morning brother." He turned to Scott and smiled. He took the reins and started to lead Barranca outside.  
"You don't have to go out today. You need to rest up."Scott quickly saddled his horse.His brother stopped and waited.  
"I can work. I hate staying in bed. If you wont I'll let you do the hard work ,roping, digging post .Cutting wood. "  
"Oh thanks a lot. I was thinking you could do the bronc busting today."He smiled over at his brother."Perhaps you could just keep up with that old bag of bones we found last week."  
"You think so? That old horse might be too much for me. He's been resting in that same spot since yesterday." The two men rode out to do a days work.  
The cantena was full and loud .A old man was in the corner playing a guitar.He played sad songs as the cowpokes drank and told tall tales ,played cards ,and flirted with the girls.It was a Saturday night. The swinging doors parted and in walked one of the Lancer boys. Handsome dark haired man. His eyes took in the room ,his hand near his gun. He moved over to the bar. The bartender smiled.   
"Good to see ya Johnny. The usual?"  
"Yeah Jose." The man put a bottle of tequila in front of him. He picked it up and looked inside at the worm. Opening it ,he poured a drink Doing it with his left hand .He drank it down, and poured another. Held it in his hand and turned to once again look over the room .No one he knew.  
"Where you been handsome?"He turned and looked at the girl. He smiled at her.  
"I've been busy at the ranch."She smiled back. Listening to his velvety voice that was like sweet honey. It washed over her, and she wished not for the first time, that he'd give her some of his time. But he was polite but nothing more. Bought her a few drinks and that was it. Well a girl could dream couldnt she? He poured her a drink .She watched him, and then went back to work. This was her reality. A game of cards were being played in one corner and as a man left the table, Johnny walked over, he felt a winning streak coming.  
Several hours later as he walked down the near deserted street, he felt eyes on him. He could feel almost a touch on his neck. He turned but saw nothing. He walked on, his spurs jinggling..He walked on down to the stable to collect his horse .The sudden appearence of a woman in white startled him. He stopped, She stood ,a foot off the ground not three feet away from him. Flowing hair the color of moonbeams. Light blue eyes that were looking at him.   
"Johnny my boy. Beware. Trouble is coming.They will come in a few minutes".He heard the brogue ,though he couldnt place it .  
"Who are you?" He said his voice cracking. He felt the chill around him.  
"Your grandmother, Murdocks my son. Dont let them harm you my boy.Tell your father I love him. I love you and your brother Scott. " she reached up and touched his face, her hand cold as ice. Then she slowly disolved away. He moved then,as he heard a sound behind him and he turned. Seeing a gun pointed at him, he drew and fired as he rolled to one side. The man dropped backwards into the water trough. Johnny rolled and came up on one knee. Just as another shot hit the dust beside him. Johnny made a move to the left, and fired at the second man who had fired again. The man yelled to his friends as he fell grabbing his leg. More bullets came his way. He staying low ran to the right and the dark. Away from the light of the stable. His eyes ajusted to the dark. He saw movement across the street, and another one coming from down the street ,on his side of the street. When one of them fired, he returned fire. Twice he fired ,hearing a window break as the man fell into it across the street. That still left one more ,that he knew of.   
"Madrid! Can you hear me?" The voice was familiar ,but he couldnt place it right off.  
"Yeah I hear you!"  
"Its Manning, lets you and me settle this our way .I always wondered which of us was the fastest.  
"Why don't you just ride out of here Manning. I got nothing to prove."  
"I think you do. You always liked a gunfight, never ran that I remember."  
"I'm not the same man. I never liked killing. Don't ruin my night, or yours. Don't be in a hurry to get your name on a tombstone."   
" Manning walked out into the street. He had holstered his gun. He faced the dark where Johnny stood .Johnny sighed and stepped out to face him. Would it never end?  
They faced each other four feet away. Manning stood facing his fellow gunslinger. He felt lucky today. He looked into the eyes and saw sorrow. Why Madrid felt sorry for him. Well hed be going to Madrid funeral tomorrow. Johnny stood looking him straight in the eye, he stance easy ,relaxed.   
Manning twitched ever so slightly and drew, Johnny had already drawn and fired before Mannings' bullet left his gun.Manning watched it seemingly in slow motion. It grew bigger as it came nearer to him. He saw it hit his chest, and the blood spurt. He never felt the pain as his heart stopped beating before he hit the ground.   
Johnny closed his eyes for a moment and felt a hollowness inside him, fill with ice.He had again had to use his gun. He looked at Mannings calm face before turning away to collect his horse.   
The end 


End file.
